Okrika Attack: ‘20 APC Members Still Missing’ …Party Vows To Return For Campaign …Ex-Rivers Gov Decries Violence

No fewer than 20 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are missing as a result of the Okrika shootings which left a policeman dead and about 50 persons seriously injured.
The Chairman of the party in Rivers State, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, disclosed this at a press briefing at the party’s secretariat, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Ikanya, who condemned the series of attacks on APC members in the state, stated that over 11 members of the APC had so far been killed, while several persons had been injured, in addition to the destruction of APC billboards at Omoku, Ogoni, Andoni and Okrika, among others.
The APC chairman also disclosed that of the injured, over 20 members of the party have been discharged from hospitals, with several others still lying critically ill in hospitals.
The party called on the international community to come to its aid in view of several lives that have been lost and the helplessness of the security agencies to either protect its members or prosecute the perpetrators.
According to the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government was preventing the security agencies from carrying out their national assignment in accordance with the law.
The APC particularly accused the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan of being the mastermind of the disruption of the APC governorship campaign rally in Okrika, on Tuesday.
He said, it has come to a stage, where international community must come and assist APC members to ensure a Rivers State.
“The wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan has taken upon herself, with presidential might, that no political party, particularly APC will hold rally at the two Okrika-speaking local governments areas (Okrika/Ogu/Bolo) again.
“She has left instructions with the warlord, Comrade Ateke Tom and her Special Assistant, Hon. Evans Bipi, to ensure all APC rallies in the areas are disrupted, hence APC rally at Okrika last Tuesday was disrupted with gun shots and explosives, police officer was killed, several injured including a press man, and nothing was done by the police”.
He called on the security agencies to fast-track their investigations and bring to book the perpetrators and sponsors of the Okrika shootings and barbaric acts in the state.
Bipi, who is a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, representing Ogu-Bolo constituency, has denied any involvement in the Okrika shootings.
Bipi said he was in Bayelsa State on the day of the incident, mourning the PDP women who died in a motor accident last Saturday along Ahoada/Elele section of the East-West Road in Rivers State on their return to Bayelsa State after seeing off Dame Jonathan to Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
“I was not even in Okrika on Tuesday.
“Okrika is not even my constituency. I represent Ogu/Bolo in the Rivers State House of Assembly”, he said.
Meanwhile, barely 48 hours after unknown gunmen had unleashed mayhem on the All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, the party declared yesterday that it would still hold its governorship campaign in the volatile area.
The state APC Chairman, Dr. Davis Ikanya, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt, explained that since Okrika was part of Port Harcourt, it was paramount for the party to speak to the people of the area about the programmes of its governorship candidate.
Ikanya pointed out that it was wrong to prevent other political parties other than the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from campaigning in Okrika, maintaining that the APC would not be intimidated and would campaign in the area.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State APC found it difficult to campaign in Okrika, the native home of the wife to the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, having been attacked by suspected political thugs on three occasions in its attempt to organize a rally in the area.
Ikanya expressed dissatisfaction over the continued attack on APC members despite the signing of a peace accord by the major political parties in the state.
The state APC chairman insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party was responsible for the political violence in the state, even as he called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to sanction the PDP for violating the agreement to embrace peace before, during and after the 2015 elections.
According to Ikanya, “Yes, the APC will still organise its campaign at Okrika. We cannot be intimidated because Okrika is part of Rivers State. If the Peoples Democratic Party can campaign in Okrika, why won’t the APC campaign in Okrika?
“The PDP is a lawless party. The PDP does not honour any agreement. The PDP has no pedigree or integrity. The PDP has a misguided approach to governance. Instead of allowing all political parties to campaign freely and let the electorate vote, they are shooting guns.
“Yes, we have signed two different peace accords with the PDP. Sadly, the PDP has violated all known agreements. The PDP is not fit to ask for anybody to vote for them. PDP attacked our members a day after we signed the first peace accord,” he said.
He, however, expressed regret that members of the party had always been attacked even with the repeated assurance of adequate protection by the police.
Ikanya stated that the police was under pressure from the Federal Government,and added that the APC was suffering because of the move by the police to balance the pressure from the central government.
Meanwhile, a former Governor of Rivers State, Chief Rufus Ada-George, has also condemned the Okrika incident, calling on Kirikese and law enforcement agencies to forstall a future occurrence of the acts in the area.
Regretting the “inhuman treatment meted out to prominent leaders of the APC, guests as well as indigenes and residents of Okrika community”, Chief Ada-George in a press statement, yesterday, said the “Okrika people are hospitable and law abiding citizens”.
The former governor, who is also the Peri Pelebo of Okrika, commiserated with the family of the slain policeman and all injured persons, including the Channels Television reporter who was reportedly stabbed during the incident.
He called on Rivers citizens, particularly politicians to shun violence and exhibit decency and decorum in their electoral campaigns.

Boye Salau & Enoch Epelle

Rivers APC governorship candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside and his running mate, Barr Honourable Asita dancing during a campaign rally in the state, recently.